On the matter of endorsing political candidates

CFC WILL NOT ENDORSE ANY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Related cbcpnews item here: ‘Mainstream’ CFC will not endorse candidates

In this memo CFC merely clarifies its stand to remain non-partisan, to avoid confusing its position with that of the breakaway group who insists on using the CFC name in some form. From a prerogative point of view, it is acceptable for a Catholic lay organization to either support or refrain from supporting particular candidates. As long as it's the official stand of the leadership, I would say it falls under a matter of legitimate prerogative. Of course if there is a particular endorsement, it goes without saying that it should never carry any element of coercion to its members. Endorsement or no endorsement, the bottom line is that in the final reckoning, it is still the individual's conscientious choice that must be respected. In the contentious matter of selecting the best political candidate, reasonable people can come to different conclusions.

The matter is different though, when we talk of an official endorsement coming from the Catholic clergy. The danger lies when such an endorsement is perceived to represent an official Church stand that the faithful must follow. To my knowledge, there is no allowance in the Church's principles for political partisan endorsements. The Church as a matter of principle avoids endorsing particular candidates for public office, as the matter of voter's choice rests upon contingent and controvertible matters that are beyond the scope of certainty as it relates to the articles of faith. It is the role of the Church however, to issue moral guidelines for arriving at a conscientious choice in line with Catholic teaching.

Here are some profitable readings along the line.

DOCTRINAL NOTE on some questions regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life

- A document released in 2002 by the Congregation of the Doctrine for the Faith, headed by then Cardinal Ratzinger. An interesting portion of the document talks about "moral principles that do not admit of exception, compromise or derogation". Thus we infer that that voting for persons who unquestionably hold such adverse positions goes against a conscientious Catholic choice.
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A Catechism on Family and Life for the 2010 Elections

- The voters guide released by the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, which is rather heavy in its admonition against voting for candidates who promote contraceptives. Coincidentally, when the document was released last December 27, 2009, all the popular leading presidential candidates changed their tune and withdrew their support for the RH-bill. Interesting coincidence.
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Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics

- A good explanation by Catholic Answers on the Five Non-Negotiable Issues
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Abortion Is the Black Hole of Moral Issues

- A great explanation by Jimmy Akin in his featured article for Catholic Answers, explaining Cardinal Ratzinger’s "Proportionate Reasons".
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Voters Guide, NOT!

- And lastly, a Voters Guide for the Not-so-Serious Catholics
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10 days to go and I am still undecided. Sigh.

Odds and Ends 4/28/10

Tabloid journalism against Pope Benedict XVI

The New York Times report last March 25 on sexual abuse of an American priest relied on speculative sources without authentic documentation as proof. The writers likewise failed to verify the accuracy of their report by consulting directly with duly authorized Church authorities. Without close scrutiny, news editors of the world simply parroted the inaccuracies of the New York Times...

The commentary also quotes: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

They don't?
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Question for today

Why is it so terribly wrong to suggest that there might be a connection between sexual abuse and homosexuality, but perfectly acceptable to say that the sex-abuse crisis shows the need to reconsider clerical celibacy and other aspects of Church teaching regarding sexuality?

Or to put it differently, why is it outrageous to suggest that a homosexual is more likely to molest an adolescent boy, but logical to suggest that a celibate is?

We know something about a homosexual: he likes boys. We know something about a celibate: he is continent. So of the two men-- one who likes boys, the other who controls himself-- which is more likely to molest boys?

Take your time. I know this is a tough one.

Wait. I'm still thinking.
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No litmus tests-- except this one

Asked whether he would consider a Supreme Court candidate who did not support legal abortion, President Obama replied that "I don't have litmus tests around any of these issues."

Good. So he might possibly nominate a pro-life jurist? No. Having expressed his distaste for litmus tests, the President immediately applied one:

"But I will say that I want somebody who is going to be interpreting our Constitution in a way that takes into account individual rights, and that includes women’s rights. And that’s going to be something that’s very important to me, because I think part of what our core Constitution -- constitutional values promote is the notion that individuals are protected in their privacy and their bodily integrity, and women are not exempt from that."

What he means, I guess, is that he won't actually use litmus paper.

Or that giving litmus tests is above his pay grade. Whatever.
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Finally for the liberal press, all politicians, and especially for all those vying for public posts in the coming May 10 elections:

Here is a quote from Alfred Adler:

A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt to be dangerous.
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What Jesus' voice means

The Good Shepherd
Sunday, April 25, 2010
John 10:27-30

Once on a brief trip to Barcelona, I was strolling along the famous Las Ramblas strip one chilly morning. I craved for a hot cup of coffee so I ducked into a small cafeteria which was the only one open in those early hours. In my fractured Spanish, I tried explain to the only waitress around that I wanted a hot cup of brewed coffee with no cream. She replied in a rapid stream of Catalan, and it was evident that she didn't quite understand my simple order. As I tried to explain again rather futilely, a sudden understanding seemed to dawn upon her as she inquired: "Teka, Pilipino ka?". It turned out she was a compatriot, and must have noticed my quaint intonation. In a very short while, I had my steaming café caliente, plus some hot buns on the house.

Of the many distinctions in the human body, the larynx is quite notable in that equips each one of us with distinctive voices and intonations. The larynx is not confined to humans as animals also possess it in their anatomy, although only the human voice has the versatility in producing a rich variety of tones and pitches in varying modulations. Humans can even mimic the sounds of birds and animals but the reverse is not true, except perhaps in a limited way for some breeds of birds. That makes human voices superior among living things. Knowing this, a guy once taunted a talking mynah: "Hey stupid parrot! Can you talk ha? ha? c'mon show me".. The bird replied: "Who's stupid? Of course I can talk, but can you fly?".

Our voices also appear to be unique for each individual. Some years ago, I attended a Letran high school reunion party. Most of us haven't seen each other in 25 years. I had a very hard time recognizing faces, as many of us had radically changed appearances, especially in the hair and waistline departments. It's amazing how people have changed, more so when you compare with their old yearbook photos. The funny thing about it is that their raucous voices sounded the same after all those years. Although I had difficulty in recognizing their appearances, I found out that I could recall them when I paid attention to their voices.

In today's Gospel Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.". Too bad there weren't any audio recording devices in those biblical times. I imagine the Good Shepherd's voice must be a booming, rich baritone as depicted so often in the movies. As the shepherd tends to hundreds of sheep, his voice must be clearly heard even by the farthest one in the flock. In our own reality, Jesus' voice is expressed in soft and subtle ways, but it can be quite clear if we pay enough attention. Sometimes it can be a child crying. A plea for help. A call to serve. An unexpected blessing. An answered prayer. The Good Shepherd speaks to us in many ways, and we should be able to understand what His voice means.

It means Love, and it never changes.
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Kiddie condoms with regular fries, please

Extra small condoms for 12 year-old boys go on sale in Switzerland
Alexandra Williams in Geneva
Published: 8:13PM GMT 03 Mar 2010

Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex.

The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20.

It showed more 12 to 14-year-olds were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s.

The Hotshot condoms, which cost 7fr60 (£4.70) for a packet of six, have been created by Lamprecht AG, a leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland.

The company has said the UK would be "top priority" if they expanded abroad, considering that it has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe....

Nancy Bodmer, who headed the research, said: "The result that shocked us concerned young boys who display apparently risky behavior. They have more of a tendency not to protect themselves. They do not have a very developed sexual knowledge. They do not understand the consequences of what they are doing and leave the young girls to take care of the consequences"....

Maybe they should package the Hotshot mini-condoms with McDonalds Kiddie Meals. While they are at it, it might be a good idea to produce and market Hotshot versions of various adult items for kids too. Like mini sports cars, mini drug syringes for drug abuse, even mini guns and knives for the quarrel-prone
kids. They could even throw in bubblegum and regular fries as a promo.

Perhaps the commission should go the extra mile by establishing kiddie clinics for abortion just in case the Hotshot condoms fail, as condoms are wont to do. As head researcher Nancy Bodmer says: "They do not understand the consequences of what they are doing...". Surely this conclusion applies to all ages as well, and must be the most significant finding in the research.
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Clinton defines reproductive health

Madam Secretary Clinton could not be any more blunt, and it appears she
is lecturing her Canadian hosts.

On Tuesday, at a press conference in Quebec after a meeting of G8 foreign ministers, Clinton was asked in the light of the “debate in Canada,” whether she thought contraception and abortion should be included in the G8 maternal healthcare focus.

“I’m not going to speak for what Canada decides, but I will say that I’ve worked in this area for many years,” she replied. “And if we’re talking about maternal health, you cannot have maternal health without reproductive health. And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion.”...

Whoah. I imagine the jaws of her Canadian hosts dropping on that one, but there she said it clear as daylight. I also imagine she added "...you m*r*ns..." under her breath, but thanks, Madam Clinton. We can stop wondering whether ObamaCare would include funding for abortion, or whether 'maternal health' is an euphemism.
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Campaigns to intensify

May 10 is just around the corner...
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Roxas City, Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III on Thursday said that the Nacionalista Party (NP) also has many good and upright candidates. "I believe LP has the best platform for governance. Although we have different political views with the NP, I have a high respect for Villar and his partymates. May the best candidates win in the coming elections. Let the people decide." NP spokesman and senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla said in response: "The feeling is mutual. Although we are convinced that Villar is the best candidate for the presidency, we believe that Noynoy Aquino is a very worthy challenger.". For this part, LP vice-presidential candidate Mar Roxas added that their campaign has been marked by "a strong emphasis on instructive platforms for good governance", which shows the "high maturity level" of our politicians and the electoral system. Meanwhile, former President Joseph Estrada's campaign manager reported that Erap is still busy campaigning in Cebu, informing the people of his "comprehensive plans to eradicate poverty".

With just 24 days to go before the May 10 presidential elections, the campaigns are seen to intensify.
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The above report are excerpts from the highly accurate New York Times.

Lessons from a commencement speech

Portions of MVP's Ateneo speech side by side with plagiarized sections are documented here.

MVP's apology and offer to resign is posted here.

...and the latest:

Ateneo rejects MVP resignation
By Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Board of Trustees of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) has rejected the resignation of businessman Manuel Pangilinan as the board’s chairman following the controversy over plagiarized portions of his speech during the recent graduation rites in the school.

Fr. Bienvenido Nebres told a press briefing yesterday at the Ateneo campus in Quezon City that the Board of Trustees met last Sunday and decided to ask Pangilinan to reconsider his offer to resign....

Nebres said the unanimous decision of the board is not to accept Mr. Pangilinan’s resignation and the board expressed full confidence in his leadership as chairman...
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There are 14 members in the Ateneo board, excluding chairman Pangilinan, and they voted unanimously to reject the offer of resignation. Curiously, not one of them considered that this decision might only fan the fires of controversy, instead of closing the book. What mixed messages are they imparting to the students? To the general public? From now on, would they now forgive all the "unintended" dishonesties of its students? How does one weigh accountability for results against intentions? How about facing consequences? How about understanding consequences? Isn't the Ateneo board opening itself to charges in favoring the monetary contributions of MVP? What are the lessons learned? The way I look at the board's decision, there are more excuses than lessons learned. MVP's graduation speech has many more lessons to impart, long after it has been delivered.

Off you go, graduates.
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